A Christmas Toast
by MedicLifeline
Summary: Ace receives an unexpected Christmas gift from an unexpected acquaintance


**Disclaimer** - I do not own GI Joe Hasbro does. The song _Snoopy vs The Red Baron _is a song sung by the Royal Guardsmen, Copyright 1966. I do not have permission to use the lyrics from them or the possible new owner. This was done for fun and please do not sue.

**Authors notes **- A big thanks to Storm O for her wonderful beta work. This is what happens when you hear one too many Christmas songs and work late. This is also me thinking way out of my comfort zone and little box character wise. So I will now go back into my box close the lid, and enjoy my comfort zone again. _Sting _is a custom Cobra character of mine that I have created; he cannot be copied or used without permission.

**Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!**

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**A Christmas Toast**

_Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas treedu kannst mir sehr gefallen! Of all the trees most lovely _

_The news had come out in the First World WarThe bloody Red Baron was flying once moreThe Allied command ignored all of its menAnd called on Snoopy to do it again._

_Twas the night before Christmas, 40 belowWhen Snoopy went up in search of his foeHe spied the Red Baron, fiercely they foughtWith ice on his wings Snoopy knew he was caught._

Ace had been sitting down, enjoying a nice evening with the team. He had been one of the few people who stayed on duty to guard their hidden European base this holiday season. Ace had gone home last year, so the pilot had to pay the piper this year. Everyone else had gone to bed a few hours ago, but Ace could not sleep for the fact that it was Christmas morning, and again away from his family.

As he sat there watching the military television channel in the recreation room, _A Charlie Brown Christmas _was replaying for the umpteenth time this year. The pilot laughed, remembering that was how he got into flying in the first place. Snoopy had fought off the Red Baron, and as a child, Ace ate it up. He admired the cartoon dog, and during his childhood, he and Snoopy had many adventures, pretending he was a pilot. Now, he accomplished that goal and was one of the best.

Suddenly, his communicator went off.

"Ace," Dial-Tone stated," We have a problem. A lone COBRA Rattler is casing the area.

You are being instructed to go check it out."

"Just one?" Ace asked, wondering what was going on.

"Yes, we do not know what he is up too," Dial-Tone replied.

"I'll be up in the air in a second Dial-Tone," Ace told him, getting up.

"Clear, " Dial-Tone said as he jotted the information down.

Ace grabbed his flight jacket and threw it on over his winter flight suit. This was the coldest day on record so far. The wind bit him through his pant's legs," Bbbbbrrrr," Ace shivered as he made his way to the plane in the hangar.

Stepping into the warm hangar, he watched as his plane was finally readied for take off. Putting on his helmet, he climbed the ladder to the Sky Striker, taking his seat as the hatch closed. As he taxied, Ace thought of Snoopy again, smiling," Just you and me pal, " he laughed. " He better watch himself tonight," Ace said out loud grinning.

"What was that?" Dial-Tone asked over the radio.

"Nothing Dial-Tone, sorry, just thinking of a very old friend," Ace replied. Looking at the gages before him, he made sure that everything was reading right. What nobody knew was that the pilot had a tattoo of Snoopy on his upper thigh; that way if he wore shorts, no one knew. Well, no one but the ladies.

Ace waved to the tower as they told him, "Clear for takeoff. Please use runway two."

"Clear," Ace acknowledged," Runway two. "

Ace taxied the plane to the designated runway, and with a whoosh, he was in the air.

"Where the hell is he?" Ace asked himself, looking for the Cobra Rattler. Suddenly his alarm went off, notifying him another plane was in the area. Too late, the Rattler flew past him. Suddenly his radio frequency was blocked. "Hello Ace," the voice on the other end of the radio said evilly.

"Oh no…" Ace knew that voice; it was his nemesis from Cobra: _Sting. _

"Sting...._How_ nice to meet up with you this lovely holiday morning," Ace replied to the other pilot.

"Yes, same here," Sting told him, a smirk on his face behind his mask.

Ace heard an alarm sound on the plane, as a missile was launched in his direction. Ace returned fire, but both missiles missed their targets by inches. Both planes chased the other. Ace did not really want to take the plane down, hoping the pilot would eventually tire of the game of cat and mouse.

Ace noticed he was starting to have a hard time with the jet. Looking out, he realized he had ice building up on his wings. He was running out of time.

Each dodged the other as they continued to fire their machine guns. They both suffered minor hits but not enough to damage the other's aircraft. Ace knew from the first time that he flew against this pilot that he had met his match, but he never told anyone else. Fear started to grow inside him as the Rattler made an incredible aerial maneuver, positioning himself directly behind the hotshot GI Joe pilot.

_Christmas bells those Christmas bellsRing out from the landAsking peace of all the worldAnd good will to man_

_The Baron had Snoopy dead in his sightsHe reached for the trigger to pull it up tightWhy he didn't shoot, well, we'll never knowOr was it the bells from the village below._

Ace realized that the Rattler had cornered him; there was no escape this time. He started to sweat, knowing for sure the end was near. His alarms began to go off in the cockpit, signaling a trigger lock on him by the enemy. Just as he waited for his the fiery end, nothing happened. In the village below, church bells rang in the new day and the birth of Jesus Christ, but in the air, neither pilot could hear them.

_Christmas bells those Christmas bellsRinging through the landBringing peace to all the worldAnd good will to man _

_The Baron made Snoopy fly to the RhineAnd forced him to land behind the enemy linesSnoopy was certain that this was the endWhen the Baron cried out, "Merry Christmas, my friend"_

As Ace flew, the Rattler forced him down on an old landing strip. _What was going to happen?_ Ace wondered but had no clue and figured this was the end for sure. He was now behind COBRA enemy lines. Deciding that this might be best, he opened the cockpit and held his hands up. As he sat there waiting on a legion of Cobra troopers to appear, none came. Ace heard in his headset from Sting," Merry Christmas my friend! Today is your lucky day."

Ace watched as the plane landed and stopped. Sting got out, and Ace did the same, each walking towards the other. Ace saw the pilot carrying something, looking like a bottle.

Sting took off his helmet as he got closer and Ace removed his.

"How did you know?" Ace asked.

"I have been watching the pilots take off for weeks, and I know your flying well. Remember, I told you I would bring you down if it was the last thing I did," he cockily stated.

"Yes I do recall that," Ace nodded, cringing recall the in flight conversation, " So you did, now what?"

"Well, time for a toast," Sting laughed.

Ace could not believe what he was hearing. A_ toast_?

Sting pulled out two small glasses and filled each one.

_The Baron then offered a holiday toastAnd Snoopy, our hero, saluted his hostAnd then with a roar they were both on their wayEach knowing they'd meet on some other day. _

_Christmas bells those Christmas bellsRinging through the landBringing peace to all the worldAnd good will to man_

"To the holiday, we both got lucky on. You know that there will not be any more like this," Sting told him, downing the drink.

Ace nodded and saluted the pilot. "Yes, you are right," he agreed in the freezing cold, draining the glass and handing it back to its owner.

"Now we both go our separate ways and forget his happened. Merry Christmas, GI Joe," Sting saluted and walked back to his plane, satisfied with himself and his Christmas present to the GI Joe this day.

"Merry Christmas, Cobra," Ace called after him, knowing this dogfight could have ended quite differently.

Both men got back in their planes and took off, knowing one day they would meet again.

**Meanwhile……**

Dial-Tone finally reached Ace on the radio.

"ACE! Where are you? Are you okay? I have been calling you for fifteen minutes!" Dial-Tone franticly cried over the radio, as the Sky Striker took off.

" I sure am," Ace grinned, "The Rattler left the area. I do not know what he needed. He turned tail and ran when he saw me coming," Ace grinned, knowing the Joes would be none the wiser.

"What the hell happened to you?" Dial -Tone asked.

"I must have put the radio on the wrong frequency. Sorry, Dial Tone," Ace grinned, heading back to base.


End file.
